Combined can opener and spout



Nov. 10, 1959 I. HAAS COMBINED CAN OPENER AND SPOUT Filed June 24, 1957 INVENTOR. I #445 BY I W 2,912,141 COMBINED CAN OPENER AND SPOUT Inge Haas, New York, N.Y.

Application June 24, 1957, Serial No. 667,399

3 Claims. (Cl. 222- 89) This invention relates to a combined can opener and spout, and refers more particularly to a tool which is attached to a can and which serves for the opening of the can and for guiding the contents thereof.

Can openers used for the opening of cans containing various comestible liquids such as beer, fruit juices and the like, are usually sold separately from the cans and are often not regularly available to the user. Furthermore, many users find difiiculty in manipulating these tools, and the openings which they puncture in the cans re sult in spilling the contents of the cans. In other instances, the opening of a can by an unskilled user may result in injury. Sometimes an unskilled user punctures the can in such manner that a part of its contents is lost when poured out of a can.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a tool of the described type which can be easily manipulated by most unskilled persons without the danger of injury.

Another object is the provision of a can opener which is firmly attached to a specific can so that it is always available for the opening of a can.

Yet another object is the provision of a can opener which serves at the same time as a guide for the liquid contents of a can, thereby avoiding the danger of spilling.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention,.

it was found advisable to provide a combined can opener and spout which is connected to the edge of a can by a hinge or the like. This tool consists essentially of a perforating portion extending over the top surface of the can and a handle portion which in the inoperative position extends along a side surface of the'can and which is so shaped that in the operative position it forms a spout guiding the liquid falling out of the opening produced by the perforating portion of the tool.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings show a can having opener and can constituting the subject matter of the present invention and attached to the edge of a can.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the combined can opener and spout in its operative position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a can opener of a somewhat dilferent construction.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings showa can 10 having a side surface 11, a top surface 12, and a round edge portion 13 enclosing the top 12. The can may be of the usual type generally used in the trade for the sale of various liquids such as beer, fruit juices, motor oil and many others.

The tool 14, constituting the subject matter of the present invention, is firmly attached to the can 10 along an edge portion 15 by any suitable hinge or other suitable United States Patent O tween 70 and 2,912,141 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 ICC means 16 connecting the tool 14 to the can and yet permitting the swinging thereof.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tool 14 includes a perforating portion 17 which has sharp edges 18. In the inoperative position shown in Figure -l, the perforating portion 17 extends over the top surface 12-of the can. A combined handle and spout portion 19' of the tool is integral with the perforating portion 17 and extends at an angle'thereto, which preferably ranges be- Preferably, the combined handle and spout portion 19 extends alongside the side surface 14 of the can in the inoperative position shown in Figure 1.

As already stated, the portion 19, in addition to serving as a tool handle also includes means for guiding the contents of the can after the can is opened.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the portion 19 is provided for that purpose with an elongated groove 20 which may be V-shaped in cross-section.

The operation of the tool is apparent from the following description: H

The user purchases the can with a tool 14 attached thereto and located in the position shown in Figure 1. To open the can the user merely swings the tool 14 along its edge 15 in the direction indicated by the arrow 21. In the course of this movement the piercing portion 17 will strike the surface 12 of the can and will form a hole or opening 22, which is indicated in Figure 2. The user continues the movement until the spout portion 19 of the can extends substantially perpendicularly to the side surface 11 as indicated in Figure 2. Then the portion 19 will serve as a spout guiding the liquid flowing out of the hole 22 in the channel 20, so that the contents of the can can be dispensed in a precise and convenient manner.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the tool 3% of the present invention, constituting a combined can opener and spout, is provided with a central hinge'31 by means of which it is attached to the edge 13 of a can 10. Piercing portion 32 of the tool 30 is substantially similar to the piercing portion '17 of the previously described tool 14 and operates in the same-manner. In this construction the handle portion 33 of the tool 30 has a central portion formed by an opening 34 which is used for guiding the contents of the can. For that purpose the opening 34 has narrow V-shaped portions at opposite ends, and an elongated portion limitedby the edges of the handle portion 33. Thus the liquid contents of the can are guided firstly through one V-shaped portion and then through the elongated portion, and will be restricted by the second V-shaped portion, thereby avoiding spilling. It is apparent that in this construction the central portion is depressed relatively to the edges which are raised relatively to the central portion.

It is apparent that when the tool 30 is swung from its inoperative position in the direction of the arrow 35, the piercing portion 32 will form an opening in the can it while the combined handle and spout portion 33 will serve to direct the contents of the liquid through the provision of the opening 34.

It is apparent that the examples shown above have been given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, and that they are subject to many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a can having a cylindrical side surface, a top surface and a raised edge between said side surface and said top surface and enclosing said top surface, a combined can opener and spout comprising a triangular can-perforating portion having a hooked perforating end and extending above said top surface from said edge in the direction toward the center of said top surface in the inoperative position of the combined can opener and spout, an elongated spout portion integral with said can-perforating portion and extending substantially alongside said side surface in said inoperative position, said spout portion having two raised edge portions extending in the direction of said spout portion and located upon the edges thereof, and a central portion located between said edge portions for the flow of the contents of the can, and means located between said canperforating portion and said spout portion for attaching the combined can opener and spout to said raised edge of the can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,631 Lackstrom et al. Sept. 27, 1938 2,318,899 I Stilwell May 11, 1943 2,571,798 Urch Oct. 16, 1951 2,791,359 Wigert et a1. May 7, 1957 

